Most computer programs include a user interface through which a user communicates with the program. The user interface is one of the most important parts of a program because it determines how easily the user can control the program. Although in the past user interfaces were basically set commands or menus, virtually all programs today have a graphical user interface that simplifies tasks for the user. Many users are proficient enough to desire ways to customize the user interfaces of their programs to allow the user to perform their tasks faster and with more accuracy.
A customization that is frequently desired is the ability to add a launch point to a user interface that performs some action, or shows some additional information. Another name for a launch point may be the term hot spot. A hot spot is an area of a graphics object or a section of text that activates a function when selected. Hot spots are particularly common in web applications, where selecting a hot spot can make the application display a picture, run a video, or open a new window of information, for example.
One problem with traditional hot spots are that they must typically be set up by a programmer who adds the hot spot functionality to the user interface of a web application and determines both their size/location as well as their function. The end-user typically has no say in this process and is at the mercy of the programmer to decide what hot spots to place where in the user interface.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a method and system that enables an end-user to dynamically create a user interface hot spot without the end-user having to modify underlying code of the user interface.